It is stated that this can be reconfigured into a rifle, sniper rifle and ion launcher......other than the standard pistol mode.
Most likely this requires added parts, much like a kit, and I see this pistol coming in a box with all the add ons.

Description: The A180 pistol was a blaster pistol manufactured by BlasTech Industries that could be reconfigured into a blaster rifle, sniper rifle, or ion launcher. Used during the reign of the Galactic Empire, one such pistol was wielded by Jyn Erso of the Alliance to Restore the Republic.

Decades later, the A180 was used in its sniper configuration by Resistance specialists.

While I personally think this look good, I do wonder how the rifle/sniper rifle configuration adds damage, making it 5D.

I would argue that the 4D is kept, but the range and otherwise attributes of rifle/sniper applies, like counting against specialization Blaster rifle etc.

As to allowing the ion damage to do 5D I am fine with as it to me seems they are charges from a separate power source.

I can not see how adding a barrel and a stock (to say in simple terms) makes this gun deal more damage, but I can see it allowing range and maybe even weapon mounts, like bayonet and the like

If I specialize in balsters A180, do I gain the benefits of specialization in all the guns different configurations?

Yes. Your specialization dice would only work with the A180. You would not be able to roll those dice with any other blaster. You are trading the versatility of a specialization like "blaster rifle" for the specificity of using am A180 in all its glory.

Changing the 'barrel' of a blaster can increase damage. Read Cracken's Rebel Field Guide

If I specialize in balsters A180, do I gain the benefits of specialization in all the guns different configurations?

Yes. Your specialization dice would only work with the A180. You would not be able to roll those dice with any other blaster. You are trading the versatility of a specialization like "blaster rifle" for the specificity of using am A180 in all its glory.

Changing the 'barrel' of a blaster can increase damage. Read Cracken's Rebel Field Guide

Awesome!
So I get this right, with the specific A180 specialization I can use the spec D in all configurations of the weapon. cool.

The problem with focusing too much on a specific weapon is that, should you ever be deprived of that weapon, you’re going to lose a lot of effectiveness if you can’t immediately get ahold of another one. A person who just improves Blaster (without specializing) is going to have an advantage in that they can pick up pretty much any ol’ blaster they find and use it with a reasonable degree of effectiveness.

If specialization is the route you intend to go, it’s wise to define your specialization as widely as possible._________________"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

SO it's pistol range is almost double regular pistols, its rifle range is 60 m further than most rifles (even the base A280), and its sniper rifle variant is much longer than blaster sniper rifles that are canon.. Too uber imo._________________It's Not who you kill, but how they die!
You cannot dodge it if you do not know it is coming, and you cannot hit it if you do not know its there.

It is stated that this can be reconfigured into a rifle, sniper rifle and ion launcher......other than the standard pistol mode.
Most likely this requires added parts, much like a kit, and I see this pistol coming in a box with all the add ons.

Description: The A180 pistol was a blaster pistol manufactured by BlasTech Industries that could be reconfigured into a blaster rifle, sniper rifle, or ion launcher. Used during the reign of the Galactic Empire, one such pistol was wielded by Jyn Erso of the Alliance to Restore the Republic.

Decades later, the A180 was used in its sniper configuration by Resistance specialists.

While I personally think this look good, I do wonder how the rifle/sniper rifle configuration adds damage, making it 5D.

I would argue that the 4D is kept, but the range and otherwise attributes of rifle/sniper applies, like counting against specialization Blaster rifle etc.

As to allowing the ion damage to do 5D I am fine with as it to me seems they are charges from a separate power source.

I can not see how adding a barrel and a stock (to say in simple terms) makes this gun deal more damage, but I can see it allowing range and maybe even weapon mounts, like bayonet and the like

What do you imagine the purpose of a barrel is in SW/with blaster tech? IRL, the length of the barrel absolutely affects the hitting power of the bullet expelled from it. In general, the longer the barrel, the faster the bullet, and the more penetration it is capable of.

However, if we are trying to be "realistic," does it really matter how long the barrel is for a laser bolt? Should it? I say, for SW purposes, it should. Otherwise, everything would be a pistol, since the size of the package would have no bearing on the lethality or range of the discharged laser.

However, if we are trying to be "realistic," does it really matter how long the barrel is for a laser bolt? Should it? I say, for SW purposes, it should. Otherwise, everything would be a pistol, since the size of the package would have no bearing on the lethality or range of the discharged laser.

It's not a laser bolt. It's plasma. Specifically, it's tibanna gas heated to a plasma state. Unlike a laser, which is light only, a plasma bolt has mass and kinetic energy resulting in recoil and the energy to push at targets, not just burn them, which is why we see targets go flying as if they were hit with a slug.

The blaster bolt is a plasma bolt contained in a magnetic sheath, which keeps it from splashing.

As for the barrel: The bolt is fired magnetically, so an argument could be made that a longer barrel will deliver a blaster bolt with more range.

As in the D6 RPG, blaster weapons need two ammunition types: Tibanna gas and a powerpack from which the weapon draws energy to power the weapon's magnetics and heat the tibanna gas to a plasma state.

A longer barrel allows the creation of a larger and more stable magnetic bottle. This allows for greater range and damage._________________"I’m telling you, you’ll never have a deeper sleep than curled up in a Wookie’s lap."
“We're going to win this war, not by fighting what we hate, but saving what we love.”
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